Figure 5

Immunolabeling of early healing and bone remodeling markers. Left:Immunolabeling of Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and Caspase-3(CAS-3) of tissue sections obtained at 3, 7, and 14 days after drilling(Drill) or piezosuregry (Piezo). Right: Immunolabeling of Osteoprotegerin(OPG), Receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa-B ligand (RANKL), andOsteocalcin (OC) of tissue sections obtained at 7 and 14 days afterdrilling (Drill) or piezosuregry (Piezo). Sections were stained with thechromogen substrate diaminobenzidine and counterstained with hematoxylin.Staining scores were categorized as negative, positive (brown-yellow color),superpositive (brown color), and hyperpositive (intense brown color) (seeMethods). Left (VEGF and CAS-3): at 3 days, only a few posivite regions inbrown-yellow color are observed in both groups. Hyperpositive immunolabeling(intense brown color) is visible only at 7 days. At 14 days, theexpression of VEGF and CAS-3 tended to be positive (brown-yellow) andsuperpositive (brown color). Right (OPG, RANKL and OC): at 7 days,hyperpositive immunostaining (intense brown color) is observed for OPG and OC,whereas superpositive immunoreaction (brown color) was detected for RANKL. At14 days postsurgery, superpositive labeling (brown color) is observed forall three markers. In the negative controls no immunopositivity was detected atall times.